Duchess smitten with South on NZ trip

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle kiss on the steps of St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle after...
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle kiss on the steps of St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle after their wedding. Photo: Reuters
Newlyweds Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may be set to head to New Zealand later this year, but the Duchess of Sussex fell in love with the country well before she met her prince.

Markle hired a camper van, on the advice of fellow Suits star Gabriel Macht, and spent 10 days touring the South Island with a friend before renting a holiday home and relaxing for four days on Waiheke Island in 2014.

But her next trip to New Zealand promises to be quite different, with talks of the couple visiting New Zealand, Australia, Fiji and Tonga in October.

Markle shared details of her trip on lifestyle website The Tig called ‘‘My love letter to all things Kiwi’’, which was deactivated early last year after she began dating the prince.

In the blog, she talked about having a ‘‘gravitational pull towards what is said to be one of the most beautiful countries in the world’’ and spoke of its stunning lakes, welcoming wine country, glaciers, forest, farmland and beaches.

‘‘New Zealand is undoubtedly spectacular,’’ she added.

Markle started her camper van trip in Queenstown where she instantly recognised the ‘‘kindness and beauty of the land’’ and become acquainted with some of its popular dining haunts, standout restaurants Botswana Butcher, Vudu Restaurant and Larder.

She then went fly fishing and to a quirky theatre in Wanaka, hiked Franz Josef glacier and snapped photos of seals before tasting wines in Marlborough and enjoying large green-lipped mussels.

Near the end of her South Island leg, she whale-watched in Kaikoura before feasting on cassoulet and indulging in more wine.

They then ditched the camper van and took a ferry to Waiheke Island where she rented a bach and dined at her favourite Mudbrick Winery. 

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